Shinra Inc And Downsizing
by Jason Tandro
Summary: S5E12- Shinra Inc. And is coming to an end. Thank you all for your support and enjoy this final episode.
1. Chapter 1

**Shinra Inc. And Downsizing**

by: Jason Tandro

Author's Note: Well, this is it. After 7 years of writing these stories, I am retiring Shinra Inc. And. There are myriad reasons, the waning popularity and the desire to work on other fiction for example. But the most important reason is simply that I've pretty much run out of ideas of what to do with the series. I could attack simple one-off topics with the group, but I feel as though after 60 episodes I've done everything I can with the characters, at least as they are viewed in this setting.

Are they gone for good? Most likely, but hey down the road I may think of something new, or a new angle to approach it. Still, I have two other novelizations that I need to finish, and I want to pay more attention to my original fiction as I am working on trying to get published.

The very first episode, Shinra Goes Green was published on Jun 7, 2008. The series has been with me through many, many phases of my life. Changing careers, changing friendships, changing worldview. All of this has been reflected in the dark comedy of the series. I've also used this series as a sort of guinea pig to experiment with ideas of writing. While some experiments did not sit well with the audience (Shinra Inc. And Hackers and Shinra Inc. And Alcohol come readily to mind) others were very well received such as Shinra Inc. And Sex which was nominated for a Genesis Award for Humor and Shinra Inc. And Cell Phones which became a platform for me to spew my views on the accursed boxes which have enslaved us.

But I digress.

Thank you all for your support on the series over the years, and for keeping good humor. Here is my last offering to this franchise. Season 5, Episode 12- Shinra Inc. And Downsizing

Rufus was sitting on the helipad just out side his office, taking in the sights of the city. He looked over the edge of the building to the 69 story plunge beneath, got queasy, and moved back towards the wall. Reeve came out, carrying a folder with a grave look on his face.

"You found me," Rufus smirked, raising his free hand in a sort of toast. His second hand was busy working on a handle of vodka.

"You were hiding?" Reeve asked.

"Not very well apparently," Rufus chuckled drunkenly. "Today marks two years since the unpleasant incident where I was told I would be losing the company. I was kind of hoping to run out the clock since it's been less than a year since I got it back under control."

"Well you'll be happy to know that the company won't be going under, but we do have to have a pretty serious discussion," Reeve said.

"No, no, no serious discussion. It can wait until tomorrow," Rufus made a feeble stab at standing up. He fell over onto the ground and dropped the vodka. Fortunately the plastic bottle only spilled slightly.

"Mr. President, things will be okay, but we're a bit tight on our funds this year and we're going to have to do a bit of downsizing," Reeve explained.

"Downsizing. I thought you suits had a new fancy word for it. 'Right-sizing' or what have you?" Rufus hiccuped, and picked back up his bottle.

"I don't believe in mincing words," Reeve said ignoring the fact that Rufus was, himself, a 'suit'. He took the bottle from Rufus and took a hearty gulp himself before continuing. "We are going to need to layoff about 50 people to end the year on budget."

"Let's layoff Palmer," Rufus laughed.

"Yes, you made that joke two years ago too," Reeve groaned, rubbing his head.

"Oh very well, fine," Rufus stood up and this time remained on his feet. "You know what this means. We need to call everybody-"

"You're going to go to bed and we'll have a meeting about this tomorrow when you are sober enough to function," Reeve said.

"Send Scarlet, I'm pretty sure she's still single," Rufus said, stumbling forward before falling into Reeve's arms.

"You're a real charmer, boss," Reeve grunted, dragging Rufus into his office.

==*Shinra Inc. And Downsizing*==

Reeve, Rufus, Hojo, Palmer, Heidegger, Scarlet, Tseng and Geneva sat around the conference table pouring over binders full of statistics and budget reports.

"Okay so you've all heard the unpleasant news," Rufus said. "We have to let 50 people go. Specifically we need to chop 1,550,000 gil out of the yearly budget. Our average salary for non-contracted employees is around 31,000 hence the nice round number."

"We should cut people out of Hojo's department," Heidegger said.

"What?!" Hojo exclaimed.

"Seconded. Not only are his staff way overpaid but a lot of them end up dying. The money we'd save from lawsuits alone is incalculable," Tseng added.

"How about the lawsuits from when a horde of poorly maintained monsters break loose?" Hojo demanded.

"How about we kill your monsters and have you put away the chemistry set?" Palmer continued.

"Keep your burger vacuum closed you amorphous twat! Why is he here? What good has this man done for any of us?" Hojo insisted.

"He makes me feel better about myself," Rufus shrugged.

"It would make the most sense to have some layoffs in the military. Most of the soldiers are eager to end their contracts. Their pay is a bit lower, with even high level NCOs only capping around 29,000. And the grunts, well, let's just say it's not that," Reeve suggested.

"You'd have to cut a whole batallion to make up those kind of funds and that's one less vanguard of the city. You can't put a price on security," Heidegger said.

"Actually you can, 13.9 billion gil per year," Scarlet said. "I second cutting from the military. If you want you can let a few of my techs go too."

"Why don't we just cut all of your techs? Most of your designs can be completed by a monkey with a wrench," Heidegger retorted.

"Oh good thing we have your soldiers then. I'm surprised half of them know which way to point their guns," Scarlet snapped.

"How much do we need to cut again?" Geneva asked.

Rufus sighed and turned back to the front page of his binder. "Uh, 1.5 million gil basically."

"Well I hate to bring this up, but all of the Directorial Staff earn 2.1 million a year, except Palmer of course," Geneva said.

"Yeah well at least I have my Elevator Pass," Palmer snorted. [Author's Note: See Shinra Inc. And Benefits]

"So you're suggesting instead of laying off 50 workers we just cut one of us?" Reeve asked.

"Unless you all wanted to just take a pay decrease," Tseng offered.

There was a brief silence.

"So who should we get rid of?" Scarlet asked.

==*Shinra Inc. And Downsizing*==

ENDINGS

Layoff Hojo - Chapter 2

Layoff Heidegger - Chapter 3

Layoff Scarlet - Chapter 4

Layoff Reeve - Chapter 5

Get Rid of Rufus - Chapter 6


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: But Seriously, How Does He Have a Job?**

 ***Ending 1: Layoff Hojo***

"I vote for Hojo," Rufus said.

"What?!" Hojo cried in protest. "Why me? Give me one good reason!"

"I can give you a reason for every monster you've created that has resulted in us either nearly getting killed or losing thousands of gil in revenue," Rufus explained. "Remember Stabby De Psychobo?"

"Well that was just an experiment-"

"Or those two little monsters you took onboard with us when we got stuck on that desert island," Reeve added.

"I still think you're overreacting."

"The Christmas Yeti?" Heidegger continued.

"That one would have been fine if the power hadn't failed!" Hojo insisted.

"Deathanol?" Palmer pointed out.

"You guys are acting like all I've done is create chaos. Remember my monsters have done good for this company too!" Hojo retorted. "My monsters killed that guy who was trying to take over the company! And my mutant elf saved us all from my possessed intern!"

"One of your monsters stopped another one of your monsters? Is that really something to brag about?" Reeve asked.

"It doesn't matter what you say, you can't force me to leave. Why right now, I'm in the process of breeding a monster so powerful it can thwart any threat to the company, but if you insist on going through with this, I'll have no choice but to use that monster on you!" Hojo threatened.

There was a crash of thunder, and all the lights in the tower shut down, leaving the group in the dim emergency lighting.

"Well, I'll be a son of a bitch," Hojo quipped, rubbing his chin and slowly backing away towards the door.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

Hojo carried a small box of his personal belongings down in to the lobby. The order had been placed to have the remainder of his monsters exterminated, a task which was supervised by Palmer. Rufus's logic was that, if nothing else, maybe Palmer could also kick the bucket and then they'd be rid of two problems.

"Well, I guess this is it," Hojo sighed. "I'll have to find somebody else who can appreciate my talents for breeding monstrosities."

"Have you considered Chocobo Breeding?" Reno asked, with a slightly malevolent grin.

Hojo's mouth twitched slightly before responding. "Well, actually that's not a bad idea, but they took my chemicals away too."

"Does everything you breed have to push the boundaries of science to an area man ought not tread?" Rufus asked, walking beside him.

"Probably not, but I've never tried anything else before. Go with what you know, they say," Hojo explained.

Scarlet touched Hojo's arm. "Hey, I just want you to know I voted against it."

"I know," Hojo nodded. "So do you want to grab a coffee sometime?"

"You promise not to spike it with something that will make me grow tentacles or something?" Scarlet joked.

"Of course not. At least not until the third date," Hojo grinned.

Scarlet's smile faded just slightly. "And now you've made it creepy."

"Too strong?"

"Too strong."

"Well what can you do. So long all. I'll miss some of you," Hojo said, sliding the box over to one arm and favoring the group with a final wave, which slowly turned into a majestic middle finger when it hit the Reeve, Rufus, Heidegger side of the escort party.

"I think he got a bad rap," Tseng said. "All in all he wasn't terrible."

"Mutant snowmen," Rufus reminded.

"Oh right. To hell with him."

 **THE END**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Budget Cuts**

 ***Ending 2: Layoff Heidegger***

"I vote for Heidegger," Rufus said.

"Why?" Heidegger asked, seeming genuinely startled. "You've always supported the military's growth!"

"Seconded," Scarlet said, raising her hand with a slightly guilty expression on her face.

"It's nothing personal, Heidegger, but you've been acting as a supervisor for years now. It's been a while since we've had a war, and besides you've put in nearly 25 years. It was about time for you to retire anyways," Rufus explained.

"I would have preferred to go out by taking the last bullet in my last battle!" Heidegger explained.

"You can still have that, except the battle would be against morbid obesity and the last bullet would be a triple bacon cheeseburger," Hojo quipped.

"Can it, Doctor Who-Gives-A-Fuck," Heidegger snapped. "And you said it yourself, Rufus. 25 years of faithful service. Don't you think I deserve more?!"

"I agree!" Palmer said, standing up for his friend. "If you lay off Heidegger, then I'll resign in protest!"

The group looked at each other for a contemplative moment before turning back to Palmer with a wholly unpleasant unanimity.

"Oh bollocks," Palmer sighed.

There was a crash of thunder, and all the lights in the tower shut down, leaving the group in the dim emergency lighting.

By the dim red light Scarlet could barely make out Heidegger hiding his face. She genuinely felt bad about seconding the recommendation from Rufus, but it was the only option that made logical sense. She considered Hojo, but Shinra was pretty much the only place he'd fit in, and he wasn't old enough to retire. Heidegger should be able to enjoy his golden years, even if he was reluctant to stop working.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

Heidegger carried a box of his belongings down the stairs, escorted by a squad of his most trusted bodyguards. Waiting at the door alongside the rest of the Shinra Inc. Directorial Staff were two of his top ranking Generals.

He looked at the one on the right, who was in full uniform and had a stoic expression which barely concealed the tiniest bit of pain at his leader's leaving. Heidegger removed his stars and handed them to the General, who in turn handed his to the General on the left.

There were no words necessary, and Heidegger moved over to Palmer, who was also being escorted out. Tseng, Reno, Rude, Elena and Cissnei stood before him now, each favoring him with a salute. Most of their salutes were simply professional courtesy, and Reno's seemed outright incidental. Tseng's however was held the longest and with the utmost respect. Heidegger took Tseng's hand and clasped it firmly before letting go and moving towards the door.

"I keep telling you I was only joking!" Palmer insisted. "I would be lost without this job!"

"Give it up Palmer!" Heidegger said, speaking for the first time in this somber moment. "Nobody here likes you."

"I know that well enough!" Palmer grunted. "But that doesn't mean I can afford to be without a job! I don't have any savings."

"Quit complaining!" Heidegger said. "My pension has bought me a nice little place in Costa Del Sol, and I'm going to need a drinking buddy. Also a janitor, but mostly a drinking buddy."

"How about a drinking janitor?" Palmer asked his face lighting up with a cheeky grin.

"Is there any other kind?" Heidegger replied. "Come friend. We already grew old together, now let's go be old together!"

Palmer patted Heidegger on the back and the two walked out the door into the sunset of their lives.

 **THE END**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: You Knew This Pun Was Coming**

 ***Ending 3: Layoff Scarlet***

"I vote for Scarlet," Rufus said.

"Whoa, what?" Hojo asked, clearly annoyed. "Not the fat one?!"

"I'm a little confused myself Rufus. Scarlet is one of our best employees," Reeve explained.

"Thank you, Reeve," Scarlet nodded. "Rufus, what the hell?"

"Scarlet," Rufus said. "Here's the thing. You are the best employee here, second only to Reeve. You also have the highest budget and belong the the department which, as you said, is headed up by some heavy technical experts who have already begun to outmatch your skill. Getting rid of you saves us the most money, and you are young enough that you will bounce right back onto your feet. Or hell, you could just take your severance and retire."

"I don't know," Scarlet sighed. "I love my work. But I guess it has been a while since I've worked with my own hands, and to be honest I kind of miss that."

"Scarlet, we can still think of other options," Reeve said. "The vote hasn't been-"

"Seconded." Said Scarlet firmly. "You're right Rufus. I think it's time for me to leave Shinra and start working for myself again."

There was a crash of thunder, and all the lights in the tower shut down, leaving the group in the dim emergency lighting.

"I hate to be inconsiderate, but did you ever finish those plans for the new generator?" Rufus asked.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

Scarlet handed over control of her department to an underling wearing a grease-stained red bandana and grey tanktop. Nobody in the Directorial Staff had ever bothered to learn her name, and given that the newbie said she preferred to lead the department from the floor rather than the conference room, they didn't take the time to learn it.

As she walked towards the front door of the Shinra building, where the Directorial Staff lie waiting, Elena rushed up and gave her a big hug, causing Scarlet to lose hold of her rolling luggage.

"I'm so sorry Scarlet," she said, squeezing her tightly.

"It's fine, really," she said, trying to pry Elena off her. "It gives me a chance to take some 'me time' and goodness knows I haven't had that in a while."

"Scarlet," Rufus said. "Please don't hate me."

Scarlet grinned despite herself. "Rufus, I know this wasn't personal. In my mind we're still friends. Besides the severance package you offered gives me plenty of time to think. I think I might see the world."

"Anything I can do to ease the transition? Job reference? Continuation of benefits? Firing Palmer?" Rufus asked.

"You've done enough Rufus," she said, turning towards the door.

Reeve patted her shoulder. "Scarlet. Where will you go? What will you do?"

Scarlet's grin grew even wider as she turned to the staff. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

 **THE END**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: It's More Plausible Than You Think**

 ***Ending 4: Layoff Reeve***

"I vote for Reeve," Rufus said.

"The guy who saved the company from bankruptcy?" Scarlet demanded. "That's your pick?"

"He's the Vice President. His salary is the highest short of mine," Rufus explained. "Besides Reeve do you really want to be associated with a company that in all likelihood will just go under again in a couple years anyways?"

"Well it wouldn't if you weren't at the helm, but given the fact that you are probably never going to step down I sadly see your logic," Reeve sighed. "There's no alternative then?"

"Hey now we still have to vote-"

Tseng was cut off by Palmer's eager voice shouting "Second, second, second!"

"Palmer, really?" Tseng asked.

"You've been treating me like garbage just like Rufus ever since you took power and long before that. Now's my chance to get revenge! I second that decision!" Palmer shouted triumphantly.

There was a brief silence.

"I vote we also kick out Palmer," Scarlet said.

"Seconded," Hojo said.

"Third," Tseng nodded.

"Don't even need the rest of ya'lls votes, he's out," Rufus explained.

Palmer seemed to be at the breaking point of divulging his speech into a hodgepodge of creative swears and insults but all that he could get out was a spluttering incoherent jumble.

"You... stupid.. God... I don't even... you don't even... you all fucking..." He finally let out a bellow. "If I deserve to be fired, may Bob strike me down!"

There was a crash of thunder, and all the lights in the tower shut down, leaving the group in the dim emergency lighting.

"You missed, Bob," Rufus quipped. "Pretty damn close though."

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

Reeve carried a small cardboard box with the few personal belongings he had in his workspace. As he approached the front door of the Shinra Inc. Tower he saw the rest of the Directorial Staff waiting there to bid him farewell, except for Palmer who had been dragged out kicking and screaming by security guards just mere moments before.

"I saved the company only to end up being canned," Reeve sighed. "I can't help but find this a bit unfair."

"Reeve, come on. It had to be one of us and how often have you bitched about this company?" Rufus asked. "Admit it, even when you ran the company you've never been happy here."

"That's true enough. And having you as a boss has been more than taxing," Reeve sighed.

"Hey, don't hate just because you didn't appreciate my genius," Rufus replied. "But still, you're getting a handsome severance and who knows, you could probably just retire."

"Yeah Reeve," Scarlet smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Normal people take a break from work once in a while. Maybe you can consider this a nice vacation if nothing else."

Reeve shrugged. "Who knows." He looked back to the rest of the staff who gave encouraging nods. He then turned to Rufus. "You're an abysmal boss."

"Hey," Rufus scowled.

"But I guess you're a decent friend," Reeve finished.

"Oh," Rufus replied, rubbing his neck from guilt.

The two men shared an awkward half-embrace, which Reno would later dub "bromance", before Reeve spoke again.

"So... you wanna go get a drink for old time's sake?" Reeve asked.

"Sure thing." Rufus nodded. "But you're paying."

Reeve smirked as he walked out the door alongside Rufus, the rest of his life waiting for him on the other side.

 **THE END**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: In Case You Were Wondering, This Is The "Canon" Ending**

 ***Ending 5: Get Rid of Rufus***

"I don't know who to vote for," Rufus shrugged.

"Well, if you want my opinion-" Palmer began.

"We don't. We never do," Tseng interrupted.

"Oh for goodness sake just hear me out this one time!" Palmer shouted. "Who is the person who has constantly landed us in these financial messes. He did."

Palmer shot an accusatory finger at Rufus.

"Hey!" Rufus protested. "I also managed to save us, and I've been doing a lot better this year."

"Even so, you do waste money like a sailor on shore leave," Scarlet replied.

"And you waste man hours too," Reeve added. "How many ridiculous things have you constructed using company personnel."

"Oh please, such as?" Rufus asked.

"There was that Hobo Cannon thing you built," Tseng offered.

"Excuse me, that was the Beggarpult 2000," Rufus explained. "And I'll have you know we use that every day."

"We still launch homeless people off the tower?" Reeve asked.

"Well, we ran out of homeless people," Hojo explained. "So we started having to use prisoners of war, military deserters, children."

"Wait, what was that last one Rufus?"

"Military deserters," Hojo replied a little too innocently.

"Then there was that abomination you did to the office, that cost tons of time and materials. You haven't been using that every day," Scarlet added.

"Well I would if people would restock the snack tray. I haven't summoned it in over a year the thing must smell like death by now," Rufus explained.

"That's not what death smells like," Hojo replied knowingly.

"Listen, it doesn't matter. The company is mine. I own it, the company is even named after me for crying out loud. You can't make me leave!"

There was a crash of thunder, and all the lights in the tower shut down, leaving the group in the dim emergency lighting. In the dark, the Directorial Staff rushed to the head of the table, grabbing Rufus arm and leg.

"Let me go you bastards!" Rufus shouted.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good!" Reeve explained.

"Bullshit, how is this for my own good?!" Rufus demanded.

"Well it's not, but it's great for us!" Heidegger explained.

"What are you going to do, drag me kicking and screaming out of the tower?" Rufus asked.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

The staff dragged Rufus, kicking and screaming out of the tower, finally stopping at the lobby just before the front doors to the building.

"You disloyal assholes! I thought we were friends!" Rufus yelled.

"Rufus for fuck's sake, when have you ever done any actual work for this company?!" Reeve demanded.

"I gave a great apology speech in Junon!" Rufus argued.

"Work that didn't result in our stock plummeting," Reeve said.

"What about everything I went through last year to try and save this company. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Rufus asked, calming down.

"It does, and that's great, but you haven't changed your habits at all since then," Scarlet said. "You continue to squander money, and hardly do anything."

"Rufus you only want to be in charge of the company because of the title and the power, but you don't want to do any of the actual work," Reeve said. "You'll still be wildly rich beyond anything any of us can imagine, and I don't think anybody is going to hassle you. But it's time you moved on with your life."

Rufus retrieved his arms from Reeve and Heidegger, folding them defiantly.

"I don't get a say in this?" Rufus asked.

"Sure you do," Hojo offered. "But we'll probably ignore it."

Rufus turned to face the doors and then looked back at the group. He turned his nose up and walked slowly towards the doors. Then in a mad dash he turned and tried to run back into the building before being caught by Heidegger and Palmer. He shook the two of them off and once more turned up his nose and headed for the front door.

He stopped and turned to Reeve. "Can I make one last request as President of the Company?"

Reeve nodded.

"Fire the fat fuck."

The group looked over to Palmer. Palmer made a feeble attempt at a run, before being stopped by Scarlet and Reeve and dragged towards the door as well.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

A few days passed in relative normalcy. Reeve retook control of the company, in a shift so smooth that most of the lower level employees never realized he'd stopped being CEO for year. Palmer had moved in with Heidegger, working as a sort of housekeeper, although it was common knowledge that Heidegger just kept him around to drink with.

Rufus was able to retire in a lifestyle so glamorous that it would have to go through a few decades of economic recession to be merely called "opulent". By way of a farewell gift, Reeve saw to it that his new manor in Sector 8 was built with all the comforts of his room in the tower, Rufus's taste for cozy spaces preserved to the last degree. Heidegger also assigned a military detail to watch over the house for him.

At the end of the first week, things were beginning to look up for Shinra Inc. Morale was higher, especially amongst the janitorial staff who no longer had to clean corpses off the pavement every night. Hojo had been told in no uncertain terms that if there had to be additional cuts, he was the next man on the chopping block, and so monsters had also taken on a more subtle, less chaos inducing manner. There were very few changes to Heidegger's and Scarlet's daily life, with the obvious exception that they spent less of them in pointless meandering meetings.

Reeve was finishing up the new budget when the Turks entered his office.

"Evening guys," Reeve nodded, signing the last few documents.

"Hey, so we were all gonna head to the Goblin's Bar tonight if you wanted to join us," Reno offered.

"I don't know," Reeve shrugged. "I don't exactly feel like partying."

"You've been doing great," Tseng offered. "It was a tough decision but you did what had to be done to save the company."

"I know he was your friend, but it's not like you threw him out on the streets," Elena added. "He's got a manor with 12 bathrooms for crying out loud, I think he'll be okay."

"13 if you count the closet," Rude said.

"Why would you count the closet?" Reno asked.

"There have been incidents. I'd rather not discuss it," Rude replied.

There was a stillness at these words, followed by Reeve hastily trying to change the subject. "Well, anyways. I still feel like a traitor. I mean he's right. He did work his ass off for the company last year."

"You think you made a bad call?" Reno asked.

"From a business standpoint no. On a personal level however," Reeve sighed and rubbed his chin.

"Come on, come hang out with us. You can watch Reno get drunk and desperately try to get in my pants," Cissnei teased.

"I'm sorry guys," Reeve replied. "You all go have fun though."

The group left somewhat disheartened, but still excited at the prospects of the coming weekend. This being somewhat ironic as, for the Turks who took assignments whenever they were needed, the weekend didn't really mean much.

*SI&* Shinra Inc. And *SI&*

Reeve left the building and stopped for a moment at Sector 8's trademark fountain plaza. Having nothing better to do, he sat on a bench and watched the dancing water reflect the streetlights around him.

"This is how you spend a Friday night?" Came the voice of Rufus from an adjacent bench.

Reeve hadn't noticed him at first, because his trademark white suit had been replaced with an alarmingly casual attire, including jeans and a t-shirt.

"Rufus?" Reeve asked. "What the hell happened to you?"

"You kicked my ass out," Rufus replied tersely.

"Yes, but still," Reeve looked him over.

Rufus looked down at his clothes. "Oh yeah, this. Well you know I'm in my 30s and already retired and I figured, what the hell, let's have a midlife crisis while we're at it too."

"Try pushing 40," Reeve replied. "Then talk to me about midlife crisis."

"Yes, but you are at your professional peak," Rufus offered.

"And you're retired with enough wealth to fund a small country," Reeve replied. "I fail to see how you have it so tough."

Rufus stood up. "You know what, you're right. I am world-class fuck up who should never have been put in charge of the company. But did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, you enabled me?"

"Enabled you? What are you a high-schooler? What kind of self-serving justification is that?" Reeve demanded.

"It's not self-serving, it's what happened. I hired you to be my sounding board. To be the person who stopped me from doing stupid over-the-top shit. You used to be good at it, but eventually you just gave up because dealing with me got too hard," Rufus spat. "And it must have been so much fun being able to play the 'good guy' who fixed everything afterwards."

"Yes, I can't tell you how much of a party it was to work late fixing your mistakes every day for five years. I don't know why everybody didn't volunteer for it."

"But you did it, didn't you? Instead of stopping me like you should have. Are you going to say that you couldn't have. I think you proved last week that you're more than capable of stopping me."

"You never took any advice I ever gave you, instead rejecting it with almost malice glee!"

"I made you the Vice President because I respected your opinion so much. I never admitted it, sure. We both know that I'm a proud bastard, but did I ever give you reason to think that I didn't care about what you had to say? If you were such a bother that I always ignored, why did I keep you around all these years? I could have hired another kiss ass to do the work you busted your hump doing. But none of them would have had your experience and skill."

"That doesn't excuse you making reckless decisions and expecting everybody else to fix them!"

"No it doesn't, but admit it, when you got the title of Vice President and things were back to normal, you backed off. You stopped fighting me because you got burnt out!"

"Of course I got burnt out, I'd just spent a year fixing the company you nearly drove to bankruptcy!"

"I know goddamn it, and I respect the hell out of you for it," Rufus shouted.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I respect you too, for doing everything you could to save the company in spite of how bleak things looked!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!"

The two men stopped talking. The water rippled in the fountain behind them. A nearby eavesdropper studied the ingredients on a bottle of Potion a little too long to be entirely believable. Rufus reluctantly sat back down.

"I guess it's not all bad. I mean hell, you're right. I never did like working anyways. I loved the attention and power, and I'll still have that, being as I am obscenely wealthy," Rufus shrugged.

"Meanwhile, you can rest assured that your company is making great strides forward under my leadership," Reeve said.

"Without me," Rufus grinned in an eerily detached way.

There was another silence.

"So, the guys are meeting at the Goblin's Bar for a Friday night hangout. I don't suppose you wanted to come?" Reeve asked.

Rufus stood back up. "You know what? I think I do."

Reeve smiled. Rufus rubbed the back of his head. "Don't do that man, it's creepy."

"We're good?" Reeve asked, extending his hand.

"As business partners, hell no. But as friends, sure, why not?" Rufus nodded, taking Reeve's hand.

The two men shook hands and then walked down the road towards the Goblin's Bar.

 **THE END**


End file.
